What You Will Need:
1 bar of lye soap
1/2 cup Sodium Carbonate (washing soda)
1/2 cup Sodium Borate (Borax)
Essential Oils or Fragrance, if desired
Follow these simple steps to make your own....
1) Grate a bar of lye soap.
2) Dissolve in 6 cups of hot water in a large stainless steel pot over medium low heat.
3) Add 1/2 cup Sodium Carbonate (washing soda) and 1/2 cup Sodium Borate (Borax) to the dissolved soap mixture. Stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
4) Pour 4 cups of hot water into a clean, empty bucket. Add soap mixture to the bucket and stir.
5) Add more hot water to the bucket until you have 2 gallons. At this point, you can fragrance with essential oils or fragrance oil, if desired. Stir well, then cover and let mixture sit for 24 hours.
6) After 24 hours, stir the mixture well and divide into your own containers. Shake well before each use. Use about 1/2 cup per full load of laundry.
Notes: Sodium Borate (Borax) can commonly be found at most local supermarkets. Sodium Carbonate (washing soda) can sometimes be a little more difficult to find. If you can't find it at your local supermarket, you can typically purchase it at a local swimming pool supply store by the name of Soda Ash.
